Correction: ‘Brussels: separate Scotland must apply to join EU’

IN A report yesterday headlined “Brussels: separate Scotland must apply to join EU” we said that the European Commission had written a letter to the House of Lords economic affairs committee saying it was its view that if Scotland voted for independence, then the newly-created independent state would have to apply for membership of the EU in the normal manner.

Although we are confident, as we report president Jose Manuel Barroso’s statement today, that the commission’s view of the legal position outlined was accurate, we were wrong to say a letter had been sent to the Lords committee in response to a question about Scotland. We understand that Mr Barroso’s response has not yet been sent to the committee. We apologise sincerely for the error.